The Log House by the Lake | Page 2

have such a fancy for
gardening. John says, too, that I know almost as much about pigs and
cows and sheep as he does; and as for Phil, he knows more about
everything than all of us put together."
Philip--Mr Ashton's eldest son--had not spoken after he had first
expressed his feelings with his brothers. His thoughts were elsewhere.
A bright airy castle he had lately raised, had just been hurled rudely to
the ground, and he was stunned by the crash.
Mr Ashton retired to rest that night with a mind greatly relieved. He
had not doubted the affection of his children, and he was assured that it
would enable them to bear their reverse of fortune with cheerfulness.
When he rose in the morning he prayed earnestly for strength to go
through the work required of him, and that is never denied to those who
seek it from Him who can alone afford it. In all the work he received
able assistance from his son. Philip had not left a single debt unpaid at
the University, by which, under his altered circumstances, he might
ever afterwards have been hampered. Mr Ashton, having never allowed
household bills to run on, was comparatively free from debt.
All his affairs arranged, he found himself with an income--arising from
a settlement on his wife--of two hundred pounds a-year, and about
fifteen hundred pounds in ready money. Once more his family being
assembled, he pointed out to them that though their plans were very
good, if they were to remain a united family they must look to the

future, and seek in another country the opportunity of developing their
energies.
"What do you think of Canada?" he asked.
"A capital country!" cried Charley, who, as the youngest, spoke first. "I
know all about the sleighing, and the skating, and the ice-boats, and the
coasting down snow-hills, and the shooting huge deer, and the
snow-shoeing, and the sailing on the lakes, and the fishing, and the
sporting of all sorts,--not a country like it, I should say."
"It's a country for hard work, I know," said Harry. "Nothing I should
fancy so much as cutting down trees, building log-huts, fencing in
fields, and ploughing and reaping. Ever since I read `Laurie Todd' I
have wished to go there." Philip and his sisters expressed themselves
equally ready to emigrate.
No time was lost in making the necessary preparations, after it was
resolved that they should go to Canada. It was highly gratifying to them
to find that several of their servants wished to accompany them. Two
only, however, could be taken. Of these Mrs Summers had been the
nurse of all the younger children, and had lately acted as housekeeper.
"It would break my heart, marm, if you were to go out to a strange
country, and I, who am still strong and hearty, not to be with you to
help you in all your troubles," she said, with tears in her eyes, to Mrs
Ashton. "Though you take them like an angel, marm, they are
troubles."
The other, Peter Puckle by name, had been first stable-boy, then page,
and lately footman. He engaged Harry to plead his cause. "The wages
and the passage-money shan't stand in the way, Master Harry," he
urged. "I have not been in the family all these years without laying by
something, and it's the honour of serving your good father still is all I
want."
The surface of the broad Atlantic was scarcely ruffled by a breeze as
the steamer with the Ashton family on board rushed across it. "Well,
Sophy, I declare it is worth being ruined for the sake of the fun we have

on board," exclaimed Charley, to his eldest sister, who was sitting
reading on deck, at a short distance from the rest of the party.
A gentleman standing by heard the remark, and finding Charley by
himself directly afterwards, he observed, smiling, "Why, my young
friend, you do not look as if you were ruined. I have never met a
happier family than yours appears to be. What did you mean by saying
that?"
"Well, I do not think that we are ruined really, sir," said Charley,
artlessly; "still, my papa had many thousand pounds a-year till lately,
and we lived in a large house in London, and had another in the country,
and Philip was at Oxford and Harry at Eton, and I was going there; and
now we are to live in a log-hut in the back woods in Canada, and that
makes us all so jolly, because it will be such capital fun. Don't you
think so?"
"I have had some experience of life in the back woods," answered the
gentleman. "It has its advantages and its disadvantages, though I have
little doubt